This Family of Four Finds FRISCO​

From the Chicago Suburbs to the Dallas Suburbs, the Brennans Find HOME

Stephanie Brennan and her family had already made the leap from urban to suburban once, leaving Chicago before the birth of their first daughter, now 11. After spending 12 years in Mt. Prospect, the family -- Stephanie, her husband and their four girls -- were ready for an adventure. And they found it in the Dallas suburbs.

“It was the hardest thing we’ve ever done, for sure,” Stephanie says of their move from the Chicago suburbs to Frisco, Texas, a popular Dallas suburb. “My husband had an opportunity within his architecture firm, down at their Dallas site. We just kind of went with it!” Fast forward a few months and they were on a quest to simplify and start over. “We were looking in the future and excited about a new beginning,” she adds.

Exploring the Suburban Jungle...in Dallas

Though eager to make the move, Stephanie and her husband were lifelong Chicagoans, both raised in the city. After heading to college -- she in Kansas, he in Oklahoma -- the couple relocated to Denver temporarily before coming back to Chicago. The idea of living in Texas was completely out of their realm but, still, they pushed ahead, excited for whatever came next. “Luckily, I hooked up with Erica (Tuscano, Suburban Jungle’s Dallas Strategist) and she helped so much,” Stephanie explains.

During their first call, “we told her what we were thinking. We filled out the questionnaire which really helped her understand what we were looking for. And we let her know how much we LOVED Mt. Prospect. We had really deep roots there and we were hoping to find a new little village with a lot of similarities.” Beyond that, the family wanted strong public schools and ample parks and outdoor space. “We love to be outside. We came from a town that had tons of outdoor festivals and things like that, so we were looking for something like that again.”

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In November 2017, the Brennans packed up and headed to Frisco. “Now that we’re here, a lot of things we thought would be the same are actually different -- but we love it,” she says. “We’re definitely acclimating.” The four Brennan kids -- 11, 9, 7 and 5 -- are at three different schools which, Stephanie adds, is a huge change considering they were all in a small private school together in Mt. Prospect. Even so, “they love it,” Stephanie explains. “They bike to school. They’re doing great -- they jumped right in.”

As they continue to explore their new hometown, they’re continuing to learn more about the greater Frisco community and where their family fits. “The density is most surprising,” she says. “The houses are close together. It’s a bit of a culture shock -- there are eight-foot fences around every house. We were used to openness in the neighborhood, so that took a little getting used to.” That said, she recognizes the reason for this structure -- “everyone wants to live in Frisco! It’s a lot of people and a lot of kids, which is great for our family.”

What Comes Next

Now that they’re better settled in Frisco, Stephanie adds that “the girls love it.” Every morning her crew bikes to school, alongside hundreds of other kids biking to class. They’re also getting used to the school structure in town. “It’s so dense, but the town likes Frisco to still have a small community or village feel. So the schools aren’t big. They cap them off, so they have a ton of elementary schools.”

To families considering a move -- a move to the ‘burbs or a move even further -- Stephanie shares one piece of advice: “Go into it cherishing where you came from,” she says, “but not clinging to it. Accept that you’re going to find new things to cherish, but it’s going to be different.” That’s exactly what the Brennans are doing as they continue to dig into Frisco life.

Suburban Jungle is an award-winning firm that specializes in moving families from urban to suburban. The company’s innovative “town first” approach helps buyers find the right suburb for their family based on personality and lifestyle, not just the house. Services are FREE and fully customized to each family and their unique journey. To learn more and to connect with a Suburbs Strategist, and find the place your family truly fits in visit www.suburbanjunglerealty.com and click GET STARTED.